Electric switch



Jan. 24, 1928.

1,657,007 H. A. DOUGLAS sLEcTRIc SWITCH mea June 25. 192e n a fr; l, v

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Patented A Jan. 24, 1928.

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`HA RRYIL` DOUGLAS, OF BBONSON, MICHIGAN.A

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

'Application mea June 25, 192e. semi No. 11am.

My invention relates to` switch structures that are mounted upon panelboards, such,

for example, as the dash boardsp of automo.

biles for, the purpose of conveniently/ controlling electric currentconducting circuits.

The body of the switch casing, in accordance with my invention, iscarried upon and extends from one side of the panel board and fuse clipsare provided upon the portion of the switch casing that is perpendicularor angular to the panel board and positioned to be readily accessible4from beneath, above or on one side of the panel board for the insertionand removal of fuses. The bridging mechanism of the switch structure isin direct relation with one end of a fuse or each of several fuses thusmounted, the other end of such fuse'being equipped for connecting thesame into the circuit protected thereby.

The invention also relates to the unitary construction of switchcontacts and fuse cli s.

'llhe invention will be more fully explained in connection with theaccompanying drawing as employed in an automobile and'in which Fig. 1 isa front view of a switch structure to which my invention may be applied;'Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof with the fuse clips and fuses assembledwith the casing in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the switching mechanism with the dash boardshown in section and broken away; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionalview of the switch structure; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal s ectionalelevation through that portion of an automobile where the dash board andcontiguous parts are lo cated, the switch Which is arranged according tomy invention being shown in side elevation upon the dash board.

The casing illustrated is inclusive of a l body of insulation in theform of a cup having a cylindrical side wall' 1 and a rear.

or bottom wall 2 in integral formation. The

front metallic end wall 3 of the casing constitutes a closure that isplaced upon the rim' of the cup and is held in assembly with the cup bymeans of the rivetingpins 4. A

ter.

teived in notches 10 formed in the insulating ring 11, this turningmovements of the lat- The ring isl pressed toward the casing end wall 3by means of a coiled spring l2 that bears against the ring. A metallicband 13 surrounds the ring and is provided with forwardly extending andinwardly sloping tongues 14 which constitute contacts that arecomplemental to various contacts 15, preferably formed of strip metal,which are shown as being included in the horn circuit, the brighthead-light circuit, the dim head-light circuit and the tail-lightcircuit, as will be well understood by those familiar withthe art. Thecontacts 14 are formed with depressions 14 and the ring l1 is formedwith depressions in the spaces between the contacts 14 to receivedepressed portions of the contacts 15 whereby the ring is held in theposition to which it is turned bythe handle to maintain the desiredcircuit adJustment effected by turning the handle. The various circuit.portions that terminate in the contacts 15 also include spring clips 16which receive end portions of the fuse -devices 17 Whose remaining endportions are received in the spring cli s 18 that are mechanicallyandelectricaliy assembled withA the contacts 15 whereby the circuitportions terminating in the contacts 15 are caused to include said fusedevices. The contacts 15 have integral continuations that extend throughthe switch casing and constitute means for anchoring the fuse clips thatare electrically connected therewith. The clips 16 are provided withseparately formed base portions 16 that are'provided with binding screws19 that are employed to mechanical- 95 ly and electrically assemble thewires 20 with the clips. e The clips 16 and 18 are secured upon thecylindrical side wall of the cover plate 5 'also passing through thedash board and being clamped against the front or forward face thereofby means of the cover plate 5 is riveted' to and in front of- 50 thecasing end wall 3 also by the aforesaid riveting pins 4. A handle '6,is-formed with a flange? which is received in the space between thefront end wall 3 and said cover plate 5. The handle Sis provided with 55rongs 8 which pass through openings 9 ormed in the casing end wall 3 andare rethe rear or backwardly facing side of the dash board Ainaccordance with common practice. -'Ihe dash board terminates short ofthe automobile ioor portion 23 to afford ac- `cess to the brake lever24, the clutch lever which is not shown, and the `accelerator25. Theowires 20 are assembled with the casing mounting screws 22, the handle 6being upon 105 and pass through the wall 26 of the automobile bonnet.The fuse devices are located upon and parallel with the lower portion ofthe cylindrical side of theswitch casvne botird so as to be readilyreached from beneath and in front of the forward face of the dash boardas will be understood by reference to Fig. 5. The fuse devices may thusreadily be inserted and replaced by reaching beneath and behind thepanel board. The spring clips 16 are assembled with the Acylindricalwall of the casing by means of the rivets 27,A these rivets passingthrough the bottomso of the clips and their separatelyl formed baseportions 16, these base portions intervening between the bottoms of theclips and the cylindrical -wall of the casing and having ho ding ears162 formed thereon, the bottoms of the clips being received betweenthese holding ears and the portions of the parts 16 that intervenebetween the bottoms of the clips 16 and the cylindrical casing wall, asindicated most clearly inv Fig. 4. The bottoms of the spring clips 18are assembled with the cylindrical wall of 'the switch casing by means.of the U-shaped continuations of the contacts 15, the'base portions ofsai'd Contactcontinuationsclampin the bottoms ot the clips 18. in place,the si es of said contact ,continuations passing through the.cylindrical side of the casing and being clinched into engagementtherewith upon the interior of the casing. The

contacts 15 and the spring clips 18 may be formed in unitary structuresby striking the ears 152 Jfrom the contact continuations 15 andinterposing the bottoms of these clips between the parts 152 and theportion of part 15 from whlch these parts are struck. The contacts 15are thus mechanically and electricallyxunitary with the clips.pertaining thereto and have direct electrical connection therewith.

Where the switch is in the form of a combined ignition and lightingswitch, the handle 6 isfformed with a circular opening which is coaxialwith theA hub of the handle, this circular opening receivingV theforward end of a tumblerbarrel 28 through which a key may be inserted toadjust tumblers 29. The tumbler barrel may be held from rotation when itis turned to bring the tumblers in register with the open-` ings 30formed in opposlte sides of the lockingsleeve 31 which is xedly carriedbythe and in front of and angular to the dash when the tumbler'controlling the ignition circuit is inclusive of contacts 32 carried byand passing through the rear end wall 2 of the casing, the contacts 33,in the form of rearwardly bulged portions of a metallic ring 34, and aninsulating ring 35 upon which the ring 34 is clipped and which is insplined or sliding connection with an extension of the tumbler barrel soas to be turned by this barrel whenever the key is turned. The spring 12in addition to pressing the ring 11 forwardly also presses the ring 35rearwardly .so that itk serves not only to establish firm electricalengagement between the contacts 14 and 15 but also to establish -irmelec-` trical engagement between the contacts 33 and 32.

Changes may be made without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I

v claim z 1. The combination with a panel board; of a switch casingcarried by the panel board and having its body portion extending uponone side of said board angularly thereto; switching mechanism withinthe'casing; a. handle upon the other side of said board and incontrolling relation to the switching mechanism within the casing; clipsupon the lower part of the casing side wall that is 'angular to the dashboard and oncthe ex terior of the casing; and a fuse held by said clip.i

2. The combination with a switch casing; ofswitching mechanism withinthe casing; clips Au on the exterior of the casing, a contact `o theswitch having anl integral con# tinuation extending through the casingand serving as an achorage for a clip with which it is in directelectricalconnection; and a fuse held bypsaid clips.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe` my name.

' HARRY A. DoUGLAs.

